News in Brief July 13, 2016 – Fox, TRESemme and More

Fox Settles Unpaid Intern Suit

Fox has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged the media giant hired unpaid interns when it should have hired employees. Under the deal, each unpaid intern will receive nearly $500 so long as he or she worked for Fox between 2005 and 2010 for at least two weeks without pay. It is believed that 80 people will be able to collect part of the settlement.

KFC Overtime Suit Moving Forward

This week, a group of assistant managers took a step forward in their case against JRN. Inc, which owns several Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants across 11 states, when a judge granted conditional certification in their case. The class will now be defined as “all current and former assistant managers or assistant unit managers who were employed by JRN Inc. at any time during the last three years and who were paid as salaried/exempt employees.” The workers claim that they were cheated out of overtime wages after being misclassified as exempt “executives” even though most of their duties were non-managerial in nature.

Preliminary Approval Granted to Settlement in TRESemme Case

A California federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a $3.25 million settlement that will put to rest claims that Unilever misled customers who purchased its TRESemme Naturals hair products. It is expected that each class member will receive up to $5 per bottle, with a cap of $50 per household. If customers can provide proof of purchase, they may be able to collect more. The suit claimed that the hair products couldn’t be advertised as natural because they contain synthetic chemicals.

Apple, Others Can’t Escape Distracted Driving Claims Just Yet

Apple, Google and Samsung must continue to face a suit that claims the companies must add warnings to their cell phones about distracted driving. The judge in the case refused to dismiss the case, finding that the suit presents the question of whether the products are defective without such a warning. The judge dismissed a portion of the complaint, but said that those bringing the suit had enough legal standing and sufficient injury to make the remainder of their claims.